Influence of a Bathymetry, Sediment Thickness, and Permeability Structure on Off-Axis Energy and Mass Fluxes

摘要

The operational goals of this project have been: to design and implement acurvilinear mesh generator and associated graphics and utility programs for use with the numerical model of coupled heat and fluid flow; to test the new mesh configurations by simulating the area around DSDP/ODP Site 504 in the eastern Pacific Ocean; to conduct comprehensive parametric tests to determine the influence of physical variables (bathymetry, basement relief, permeability distribution, basal heat flow) on the extent, direction, and intensity of hydrothermal circulation; to compile, review, and synthesize bathymetry, sediment thickness, and heat flow data from other sites where relationships between these variables can be elucidated; and to complete simulations of other field areas and general settings to determine likely influences on off-axis hydrothermal activity in these settings.